Olympic Gold Medalist Graduates River Oaks – This Forgotten Day in Houston

On this day, Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski graduated from River Oaks Academy here in Houston.

Lipinski briefly lived in Sugar Land when she was younger, but she never stepped a foot inside her Houston alma mater. Actually, the last time she attended school was when she was in the fifth grade. But, we can all understand why. She had bigger things going on.

At the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Tara won gold in the Ladies Figure Skating Competition. And, she was only 15, making her the youngest person in the history of the Winter Games to win a gold medal. And at 13, she was the first female skater to successfully execute the triple loop/ triple loop jump combination.

This teen Olympian’s dedication to training pulled her away from school for many years. But, with the help of private tutors and a strict commitment to four hours of school a day, including tests and assignments with deadlines, Tara was able to walk in the graduation procession at River Oaks Academy with classmates that she had most likely never met.

Did Lipinski’s Olympic victory inspire you to pick up ice skating? Tell us in the comments below or tweet our host Michael Callahan, @MCallahanTV using #ForgottenDayHOU, and he’ll tweet you back!